


You Don't Scare Me

by ginnvs



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-11 01:38:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5608963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnvs/pseuds/ginnvs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even though Marcus is everything she wants and everything she needs, Abby has built a wall around her heart. Can Marcus break through it, or will her own self-protection cause her to end up alone?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fic, so please be kind! Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated. This is going to hopefully be a multi-chapter fic, so stay tuned for updates!

            When Abby cried, she cried alone. That was something that had been consistent throughout her whole life. Whenever she was having a problem on the Ark, she’d cry in the back of medical, away from Jake and his concerned stares and Clarke and her suspicious glances. When she was alone, she didn’t have to worry about staying strong for anyone, about _saving_ anyone. She could just let all of her emotions take over, allowing herself a five minute time out from her real life.

            The unfortunate thing about the Ground, however, was that you were rarely ever _actually_ alone; even if you were convinced there was no one around. When Abby found herself crying outside the medical tent soon after darkness had fallen upon Camp Jaha, she was unaware that Marcus Kane was on guard duty that evening. She was unaware that as her sobs grew just audible over the night’s breeze, he could hear her. So, she was very surprised when Marcus rounded the corner and quietly slid down to join her on the cold, hard ground.

            Abby tried to compose herself now that she knew she had company, but it was no use. The weight of everything was upon her, and as the tragedies continued to pile up, she felt as if she were suffocating. Clarke had been gone for weeks now, and the fact that she had made no contact with Camp Jaha lead Abby to believe that she had no prospect of coming back. All of the victims of the incident at Mount Weather (including herself, though she would never admit it) were traumatized. Although the physical scars were starting to fade, the psychological trauma was ever present, rearing its ugly head whenever they were finally starting to feel safe. And then, of course, there was the issue of survival. As winter approached, the Council was trying their best to figure out rations and food sources, but it was a lot to ask of a group of people so inexperienced with Earth and its temperaments. She was in charge of these people, and all she could think about was her missing daughter. As far as she could tell, the only trait from the Ark that she’d carried down to Earth was her ability to be incredibly selfish. Her sobs grew more frantic, less controlled, and she started to shake.

            Marcus had never seen Abby like this before, not even when Jake had been floated. Abby Griffin had always been a figure of absolute control, the one thing that was calm in their storm of life. She was always the one who helped everyone else, who was able to bring solace to her people. He had never seen her this vulnerable in his life, and they had known each other for a very long time. He was very unsure of what to do in this situation. Yes, they had grown much closer since landing on the Ground, and there was some sort of unspoken connection between them. But what was it? He knew what it was for _him_ , of course, but there was no way that was how she felt. No, he was merely her partner in ruling and negotiations. For her, it was a relationship built on leadership, and that was all.

            Still, as he looked at her, completely emotionally exhausted and upset, he realized he had to do something. But what was he supposed to do? From an outside perspective, this might even have been funny. Marcus Kane was able to make smart decisions in seconds when it came to leadership and combat, but was completely in over his head when it came to Abby Griffin.

            “Do you want me to leave?” he asked her abruptly, turning towards her slightly.

            Abby pondered this for a moment. How was it possible that the man who once tried to have her floated was now the one person she could get comfort from? And was it _wrong_ that she was thinking that way? Marcus Kane had completely snuck up on her, and she knew very well that she couldn’t shake him, even if she wanted to. She couldn’t help but wonder what that said about her. She shouldn’t be getting attached to anyone right now. Enough of the people who she loved had been taken from her, in one way or another. Still, she could not deny that comfort, in this moment, would not be something that she wanted to deny herself. After another few moments of silence, she shook her head.

            “Okay,” Marcus said quickly. “What would you like me to do?”

            A fresh batch of tears fell from her eyes at this, and he could feel his heart breaking inside of his chest. This woman, who may possibly be the most perfect and kind woman who existed, was falling apart. She was the last person who deserved to fall apart, and yet it was happening anyway. If it was possible he would take all of her pain and bear it himself, but it was not.

            “Abby,” he repeated, his voice thick with emotion. “ _What would you like me to do_?”

            To Marcus’ surprise, she grabbed his hand. She didn’t say anything, she just simply held tightly, as if she expected him to let go. To her utter dismay, he did. Everything that she had been worried about regarding Marcus came flying to the surface.

            _I was wrong about him_ , she thought. _I made a mistake and scared him off._

            However, this was not the case. Marcus immediately took the arm of the hand she had been holding and wrapped it around her petite frame, pulling her close him. Her head rested lightly on his chest, and his chin brushed the top of her head.

            “You can trust me,” he whispered, his warm breath touching her hair. “You can talk to me if you need to, or cry or yell. _But you can trust me_.”

            Abby lost it. She could not control her tears. Everything that she’d been holding back since Clarke left surged to the surface. And what was the strangest was that she felt so… comfortable. Marcus held her tight, stroking her hair as she cried, and it was as if that was exactly what she needed. She’d forgotten what it was like to feel that support, that unconditional affection. To get that from someone besides Jake was so foreign, but it felt _right_. She knew for a fact that in that moment, there was nowhere else she would rather have been. They stayed like that for a few moments before her sobs started to let up. Wiping her eyes, she peered up, locking eyes with him.

            “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I don’t like to get like this with people. I’m awkward and uncomfortable and… _scary_.”

            Marcus smiled down at her, their stares still connected. 

            “ _You don’t scare me_.”

         Abby felt her breath catch in her throat. This was all very intimate, and she should have saw this coming. She knew from the way he looked at her that co-leadership wasn't all that he had in mind. He'd been a patient man, a respectful man, but she couldn't expect that he would let them dance in the in-between stage of their.. whatever they had forever. But she wasn't ready yet. She may have let him in for a second, giving into the comfort and the security of Marcus Kane, but she wasn’t a changed woman. At that, she felt herself separating from him, untangling herself from his arms and standing up.

            “I know,” she said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself to block the chilled night air. “And that scares _me_.”

            She slowly began walking away from him, back to her solitary quarters and familiarity.

            “Goodnight, Abby,” she heard Marcus’ saddened voice call out from behind her.

            “Goodnight, Marcus,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter 2, which I hope all of you enjoy! I would love to hear your feedback, so please let me know what you thought in the comments below!

            “So what I’m really wondering, _Chancellor_ Griffin,” Pike spat at Abby across the table, “is whether or not you really have the whole group’s best interests in mind, or just your own.”

            “What are you talking about, Pike?” Abby shot back, in _no_ mood to take any heat from him that day.

            Abby was completely exhausted. A large group of the people in the combat division of their unit had returned that day from a scouting mission, most of them in need of some sort of medical attention. She’d spent her whole day in medical tending to them, forcing her to push back this Council meeting, which should have taken place that morning. This had infuriated Pike, who insinuated that this was just one of the many ways that Abby let her non-leadership commitments cloud her judgment of her main job.

            “What I’m talking about is your insistence to keep peace with the Grounders. This is our home now, and we shouldn’t have to tiptoe around these… these… _savages_!”

            “It was their home before it was ours, Pike,” Marcus, who had been quiet for most of the meeting, cut in sharply. “Or have you forgotten that already?”

            “Easy, Councilor,” Pike replied menacingly. “The Chancellor can fight her own battles… Or have _you_ forgotten that already?”

            “Councilor Kane, your assistance is not required,” Abby warned, shooting a glance in Marcus’ direction. She caught the view of his jaw clenching as he fell silent, knowing better than to pick a fight here.

            “However,” Abby continued, glaring back at Pike, “My fellow Councilor is correct. This is not exclusively our land. The Grounders have lived here for years and to them, _we_ are the invaders. _W_ e are the outsiders. We can’t just expect to control every mile of the land they’ve always lived on, nor should we.”

            “Are you sure, Chancellor, that this has nothing to do with the fact that your daughter is linked to this clan?”

            “I’m not sure what you mean,” Abby frowned, trying her best to keep emotion out of her voice. Clarke had been gone for nearly two months now, and talk of her was painful.

            “What I mean is that if we were to engage in combat with the Grounders, it would put your daughter in danger. Am I wrong in saying this?”

            “Who’s to say whether you’re wrong or not? The fact remains that my daughter has nothing to do with the opinion that I have on the matter.”

            “A likely story,” Pike scoffed.

            “The truth,” Marcus piped up once again, with a coldness in his tone that was similar to the Marcus Kane of the Ark.

            “Councilor,” Abby warned more firmly this time.

            “Enough is enough,” Marcus replied loudly, clearly not willing to listen to this any longer. “Councilor Pike is allowing personal remarks to enter the Council meeting, which is a clear violation-“

            “What is a violation, Kane, “ Pike cried, “Is the fact that the Chancellor is allowing personal problems to dictate the choices of us as a people. Although, I’m not sure why she is trying so hard to protect someone who has only done us a disservice.”

            “What are you talking about?” Abby questioned.

            “Clarke Griffin abandoned us just after a major trauma for our whole group. She clearly doesn’t care about the wellbeing of our people, so I don’t know why we should care for _her_ wellbeing.”

            “You are crossing a line, Pike!” Marcus shouted angrily.

            “ _Enough!_ ” Abby stood up from her seat at the head of the table. Her gaze switched back and forth from Pike, whom she’d never felt a more seething hatred for before now, and Marcus. Her eyes lingered on Marcus Kane, who was staring at the floor with a cold resilience. Frustrated, Abby couldn’t tell if what she was feeling for him was annoyance or a swell of affection.

            “This meeting clearly isn’t getting us anywhere. As Chancellor, I suggest we reconvene tomorrow at this time. Hopefully, everyone will be a bit more open to discussion then. This meeting is adjourned.”

 

* * *

 

            It was at Abby’s immense displeasure to find herself outside of Marcus Kane’s door later that night. Typically, spending the evening with Marcus was a normal occurrence, one that brought rare smiles to both of their faces and allowed them to be happy, if even for a short period of time. Initially, Abby hadn’t known what to make of the bond they had formed since arriving on the Ground, but eventually she had decided to just embrace it. After all, it was one of the few positive things happening in her life right now.

            Tonight however, was a different story all together. As much as Abby appreciated the sentiment behind Marcus standing up for her at the meeting, it could never happen again. It made her look weak, which was exactly the type of flaw Pike was looking to exploit. Everyone knew that Pike was after the Chancellor’s position, and he even had a few followers who believed that he could do the job better. The last thing Abby needed circling around Camp Jaha was the idea that she needed Marcus Kane’s assistance in fighting her own battles.

            She knocked firmly on the door, and planted herself firmly in front of it. Marcus could be heard shuffling behind the closed door, before finally opening it. As she found herself staring up at his kind face, she couldn’t help but slightly forget what problem she was having.

            “Evening, Chancellor,” he smirked down at her, causing her mouth to twitch into a grin. “Come on in. Make yourself at home.”

            Abby timidly stepped into his quarters, peering around at her surroundings curiously. Even after all the time they’d spent together on the Ground, she’d never seen the inside of his room. When she imagined her first time entering his quarters, she had to admit it wasn’t to discuss a Council meeting that had gone awry.

            “Marcus, we need to talk,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself, her attempt to hold herself together through this conversation.

            “Alright,” Marcus replied slowly, narrowing his eyes in worry. “Is everything alright?”

            “Marcus, it’s about the meeting,” she said, taking a deep breath. “What you did today… It can’t happen again.”

            “And what exactly did I do?” he questioned, genuinely confused.

            “You stood up for me to Pike, which as a friend I appreciate… But as Chancellor, it made me look weak.”

            “Pike was bringing personal arguments into the meeting, which is completely against-“

            “This is something that _I_ could have told him just as easily as you, Marcus,” Abby countered harshly.

            “Well, I’m sorry,” Marcus muttered. “I didn’t realize it wasn’t my place.”

            Abby sighed. This sort of reaction was exactly what she feared. Marcus Kane, as good of a person that he’d become since the Ground landing, hadn’t given up all of his traits from the Ark days. He was still extremely stubborn, particularly when it came to the Council and decision-making.

            “Marcus, I know that you were just trying to be a good friend-“

            “Friend?” Marcus exclaimed incredulously.

            “Yes, friend-“

            “How long are we going to keep playing this game, Abby? How long are you going to try to keep up your charade?”

            “What are you talking about?” Abby asked bewilderedly, not expecting this turn in the conversation.

            “I understand that you don’t feel the same way as I do,” Marcus started, and Abby felt her blood run cold. _Shit_. This was not the time that she wanted to have this conversation. She knew that it was something that they _needed_ to talk about, but she expected it to be later, less sudden, and less hostile.

            “ _But_ ,” Marcus continued, with a look of anger towards her in his eyes that was familiar from their arguments on the Ark. “I don’t need you to play me for a fool, Abby. You know how I feel about you, and pretending that you don’t and acting like I’m doing you a friendly disservice is _insulting_ , and quite frankly something I thought that you would have the respect for me not to do.”

            “Marcus, I-“

            “And, do you know what? If you don’t want me sticking up for you, then I won’t. If you’d prefer it, I could just let Pike walk all over you because you’re too scared to have someone who cares enough about you to do something about it. That’s not weakness, Abby. That’s _strength_.”

            Abby watched helplessly as Marcus pulled on his boots and headed for the door. Not only could she see his hands shaking with anger, but her heart broke to see a few tears glittering on his cheeks.

            “Marcus, I’m sorry,” she whispered quietly.

            He paused just in front of the door, and after a moment turned to look back at her. His eyes were red and shiny, and they had a look of complete sadness and defeat in them.

            “So am I,” he replied, before opening the door and disappearing out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked this third installment! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and stay tuned for upcoming chapters!

            Aside from the week of Jake’s floating and Clarke’s arrest, Abby was having the worst week of her life. There had still been no word from Clarke, and it was getting colder and colder as the days went by. Pike was constantly picking fights with her, and from what Raven had told her, he was gaining support through Camp Jaha. Pike seemed to think it was only a matter of time before he would take over the job as Chancellor, and although Abby refused to give into his intimidation tactics, it was becoming _very_ exhausting. Rations were at an all-time low, requiring more and more teams to be sent out to try to gather supplies. Because of this, Camp Jaha was more empty than usual, with an air of sadness and desolation gripping all those who remained.

            And then, of course, there was the issue of Marcus. Their relationship had been greatly affected by their last argument. Even though it had been a full week since the incident, he clearly wasn’t over it. He was obviously trying very hard to keep up a professional relationship when it came to the Council and their leadership decisions, but the moment Abby tried to talk to him on a personal level, he always made up an excuse and left quickly. Marcus was trying to act as though he wasn’t upset, merely too busy to be bothered, but she knew better. Every once and a while she would catch his eye and find that he had been staring at her, sadness radiating from his eyes.

            Abby was furious at herself for letting this whole issue with Marcus bother her so much. It wasn’t so much the fact that he was angry with her, because they had been angry at each other _plenty_ of times on the Ark and it hadn’t bothered her a bit. She was more upset because now, after all that they’d been through, his absence from her life was so evident. He had truly become her rock on the Ground, someone who she knew she could approach and talk to about anything. His support was something that she’d grown to expect, a familiar gift. Without it, she had never felt more alone.

            Abby contemplated all of this as she found herself in medical, arranging tools and supplies. The medical tent was the one place where she felt safe from everything: Pike’s taunts, the disgruntled look of her people, Marcus’ coldness. Occasionally Jackson would come through, but for the most part she had time for herself, a rare blessing in Camp Jaha. When she heard someone enter the tent, she simply assumed it was Jackson, but when she turned around she was very surprised to see Marcus standing in the entranceway.

            “Hello,” she said quietly, wondering how much hope was evident in her voice. Was he there to call a truce? Was this silence-pact affecting him as much as it was her?

            “Raven sent me here to deliver a message,” he said quickly, not meeting her eye. “It’s from Clarke, Abby.”

            “ _Clarke_?” Abby breathed, her heart jumping into her throat. “What’s the message? Is she alright?”

            “She is,” Marcus nodded. “She intends to return to Camp Jaha. She will begin the journey tomorrow. She expects that she will arrive in two weeks.”

            Abby’s heart flooded with relief. Clarke, her daughter, _her baby_ , was finally coming home. She could feel tears coming to her eyes, and although she tried her best to fight them back, they began to flow down her face. As she stared at Marcus, who looked a bit uncomfortable, she realized that the only thing detracting from this moment was the fact that she couldn’t celebrate with the one person she wanted to.

            “I’m very glad for you, Abby,” he said slowly, still staring at the floor.  

            “Marcus,” she started, brushing away her tears and taking a few steps towards him. “Marcus, I’d really like to talk to you.”

            “I have to get back to work,” he mumbled, and slipped out of the tent as quickly as he’d entered.

 

* * *

 

            After she’d finished arranging supplies in medical, Abby sat outside the tent, watching the afternoon fade to evening in the sky. This was her favorite place to do some thinking, and tonight there was only one thing on her mind: _Marcus_.

            She knew that she needed to make things right with him, but she just didn’t know how. What was she supposed to say? She found herself thinking back to their argument they’d had after the previous week’s Council meeting.

            _“I don’t need you to play me for a fool, Abby. You know how I feel about you, and pretending that you don’t and acting like I’m doing you a friendly disservice is insulting, and quite frankly something I thought that you would have the respect for me not to do.”_

She closed her eyes, thinking back to what he’d said. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn’t know how he felt. Ever since the incident at Mount Weather, there had been a shift between them that she could not deny. He was always right by her side, with a hand on the small of her back or their fingers entwined. Sure, one _could_ boil it down to the support of a good friend, but she knew it was more than that. She could tell by the way he looked at her, as if she was the only good thing left in the world. She sighed, because she could not deny that there were times that she returned those glances, thinking the exact same thing.

            She’d certainly gotten caught up in the security of him. Having one person that you knew you could rely on for support and comfort at _any_ time was so important in their new lives on the Ground, as she was lucky enough to find that in Marcus. Was it anything beyond friendship for _her_? She could try to convince herself it wasn’t, that it was simply a relationship forged out of necessity, but she would be lying to herself. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d wished she could be closer to him, that he could hold her and make her feel safe in the midst of the chaos of Earth. It dawned on her that it was a large possibility that she could be falling for him, and that scared her more than anything had in her life.

            It was then that she saw him. He was walking alone, doing the perimeter of the camp. She knew for a fact that he wasn’t on duty that night, but he would typically cover some shifts for the younger guards who had children they had to tend to. She had made up her mind. She was _going_ to talk to him, whether he wanted to listen or not. She jogged over to where he was, lingering by the fencing by the gate of the camp. When his eyes caught her approaching, she saw him tense. He wasn’t expecting to be cornered like this.

            “Marcus,” she breathed heavily after catching up to him.

            “Chancellor,” he nodded, attempting to walk around her.

            She spun around as he passed her and grabbed his arm. He glanced down at her grip on his jacket and then moved up to her face, filled with desperation.

            “Marcus, will you take a walk with me?” she blurted out.

            “Abby, I-“

            “ _Please_.”

            He sighed, and then, after a moment of inner deliberation, nodded. Abby grabbed his hand, surprising him a bit, and let him just outside the gates of Camp Jaha. They walked a bit further, Abby allowing her fingers to intertwine with Marcus’, before sitting down just by the edge of the trees.

            “Abby, what-“

            “No,” she cut him off. “I need to talk first. When you came into medical today and told me that Clarke was coming back, do you know what my _first_ thought was?”

            “What?” he asked softly.

            “I wanted to celebrate with _you_ ,” she explained, trying her best to make him understand. “I wanted to tell _you_.”

            Her hand, still laced within his, gave his a small squeeze.

            “After Jake died-“

            “Abby,” he cut in. “You don’t have to-“

            “No, it’s okay. I need to tell you this. After Jake died, I never imagined there ever being anyone else. I just assumed that part of my life was over, and that was okay. I had Clarke, a job that I loved, and my seat on the Council. I had more than enough going for me. But then we came to Earth, and _you_ …”

            He glanced up at her with a look of surprise on his face that couldn’t help but make her offer up a sad smile.

            “You were there for me through _everything_ , and I thought that I would never have that again. Even when there seems to be nothing but darkness surrounding my life down here, when I’m with you… I don’t know, it just turns my day around. I don’t ever want to lose that.”

            “Abby, I’m sorry about the other night-“

            “No, you don’t have to be sorry. You were _completely_ right. I’ve been having feelings for you and they’ve been scaring the hell out of me, so I’ve been hiding from them. _I don’t want to hide anymore_.”

            With that, she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek, lingering there for a few seconds.

            “I care about you,” she said, her lips brushing his cheek as she spoke. “And I want to make this work. You just have to be patient with me.”

            Marcus smiled, leaning his head to the side so it rested lightly against hers.

            “The last time I checked, we have nothing but time.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much to everyone who has been requesting me to update this fic, I really appreciate it! The last few chapters have been very angsty, so to break it up, this one is cute and happy! I hope you guys like it! Please leave your thoughts in the comments below!

            Abby’s life had definitely taken a turn for the better since Clarke had come home. Although Clarke was still as headstrong as ever (perhaps even more so) and was rarely in the mood to open up with her mother about what had happened in her absence, simply knowing that she was alive, to be able to see her every day, was enough to life Abby’s spirits. That was why Abby was able to organize supplies in medical on a cloudy morning with a small smile on her face, humming softly to herself.

            She wasn’t surprised when she turned around and saw Marcus Kane standing in the entryway of the tent, smiling at her. She returned his grin, but didn’t subside from her work. Marcus didn’t seem to be bothered; instead he strode into medical and quietly sat on the end of one of the empty cots, watching her work. She could feel his eyes on her back, generating a blush on her cheeks. She really shouldn’t have been so affected by his presence, as it was quite common as of lately for Marcus to show up in medical when she was there. Initially, he would make up an excuse as to why he came (typically something to do with the Council), but lately he would simply show up, sometimes with tea for her if she had been working a long day, lingering near her, distracting her from the stress of the day with his presence. Ever since their conversation they had outside the gates of Camp Jaha, their relationship was lingering in a state of unknowing. Abby couldn’t define _what_ they were at that point, but one thing she did know was that she enjoyed Marcus’ company during his visits to medical.

            “How’s the work going, Dr. Griffin?” he asked her, prompting her to turn around and look at him, leaning against the desk behind her.

            “It would be going faster if you weren’t here distracting me,” she replied, shooting him a narrow-eyed smile.

            “Ah, we’re funny today,” Marcus laughed softly.

            “I’m _always_ funny.”

            “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, getting up from the cot and joining her by the desk.

            “Don’t you have work to do, Commander?” she asked him, feeling her heart beat faster as his arm brushed past hers.

            “I’m off duty, _Chancellor_.”

            “ _Fine_ ,” she agreed, knowing this was an argument she wouldn’t be able to win. “Do you see those vials with the green powder in them? Stack all of those side by side in that container _there_.”

            They worked quietly for about an hour, the only sound in the room coming from the clink of the vials and Abby’s occasional humming, followed by chuckling from Marcus. She enjoyed the silence, as it was a comfortable one in which she felt completely safe. That was the effect he had on her, and she didn’t know how she felt about that. She hadn’t felt like that about anyone since she’d met Jake, and even then, the connection with Marcus was something _different_. It probably had something to do with the desperation of their situation on Earth, but he was one of the very few good things in her life.

            “Well _there_ ,” he said as they finished up. “Now you’ll get out of here a little bit early.”

            “And what am I going to do with all of this free time?” Abby questioned, smirking at him.

            “ _Well aren’t you going to the party?”_

            Seeing as Clarke had been home for over a week now, some of the younger Arkers believed that they needed to do something to celebrate, so they were throwing a party for the whole camp. Abby personally thought that it was a bit silly, but the kids needed something to be happy about, because there had been a whole lot of darkness surrounding them since their landing on Earth. Clarke, who had been strangely quiet since her return, didn’t really know what to think of the idea, but she agreed that if it would make the Arkers happy, it could only be a good thing.

            “Don’t you think the whole thing is a bit juvenile?” Abby asked him, thrown a bit off guard by the question.

            “What? A group of people getting drunk and wasting time and resources?” Marcus smiled. “What could _possibly_ be juvenile about that?”

            Abby laughed at this comment, her eyes meeting with his. He returned her gaze, a smile creeping onto his face. They stayed like this for a few moments before she looked down, the intensity of the stare too great.

            “Well… Are you going to be there?” she asked him, staring at the floor.

            “I believe so,” he replied lazily. “ _Do you want to be my date?_ ”

            Abby froze. Marcus had listened to her when she told him to be patient with her, and therefore hadn’t pushed her past their norm of conversations in the privacy of the medical tent. But this was different. This was forward and serious and… _real_. She looked up to see his face, looking for any signs of joking or sarcasm, but she saw only Marcus, completely serious and perhaps even a bit nervous.

            “A date? What are we? Sixteen?”

            “Abby Griffin, are you saying that we are too _old_ to go out on a date?” Marcus asked in mock-outrage.

            “No, I just, I… Sure.”

            “You’re saying yes?” Marcus narrowed his eyes, searching for an answer in hers.

            “I… Yes.” Abby knew that she was blushing then and wished she had better powers of self-control.

            “Great,” Marcus smiled at her. “I’ll see you tonight, _Dr. Griffin_.”

* * *

 

            Abby didn’t want to be in the center of all the excitement, so she’d found herself a spot by a campfire near the edge of the festivities. Marcus had said he would meet her later, so all that was left to do was wait. This whole situation was just _so_ surreal to her. She hadn’t been out on a date in, what? 20 years? God, had it been _that_ long? Well, she supposed that she had to have seen this coming, and truth be told; she couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. This… _whatever_ she had with Marcus was something that she’d finally convinced her brain to accept as a good thing, and it was. Everybody needed someone, after all.

            “Hey.”

            She turned around to see Marcus approaching her with two drinks in hand, coming to join her by the fire.

            “You found me,” she said, taking one of the cups that he was offering to her.

            “Well it wasn’t that hard,” he replied, sitting down next to her. “You’re kind of a loner, Abby.”

            “Are you insulting me?”

            “No,” he smiled. “I’m kind of a loner too.”

            They talked about all sorts of things, and Abby was surprised that their flow of conversation wasn’t eventually halted. After all, they’d never really talked about much before outside their immediate circumstances, whether it was regarding survival or Council duties. But it wasn’t an issue; they talked for hours about their lives on the Ark as children, the people they’d grown up with, and about Earth. Their dreams had finally come true, regardless of the circumstances that made it that way. _They’d finally made it to Earth_.

            “And to think, we were to be a transitional generation,” Abby mused.

            “Yeah, well that all went to Hell pretty quick, didn’t it?”

            After a while, Abby’s eyes were drawn to Clarke, who was sitting off to the side of the festivities as well, in the company of Bellamy Blake. She’d grown so much in the few months they’d been on Earth. It was like she was a completely different person. She’d come down a girl, and now she was a woman.

            “It’s crazy, you know,” Abby said quietly, her eyes still fixed on her daughter.

            “What is?” Marcus asked.

            “How quickly things change. Look at her, she’s all grown up.”

            Marcus’ gaze shifted towards Clarke, and he pondered this statement for a moment before answering.

            “Well that’s what happens when you’re put into adult situations… It turns you into one.”

            “She doesn’t need me anymore.” Abby smiled sadly, looking down at the drink in her hands, trying to distract herself from a surge of emotion that had come out of nowhere.

            “Maybe,” Marcus mused quietly, turning to look at her. “But Clarke isn’t the only person who needs you.”

            And with that, Abby felt Marcus’ hand slide over to hold hers, intertwining their fingers. They sat like this for a while in their signature comfortable silence before Abby looked over at him and smiled.

            “Do you want to know what _I_ think?”

            “What?”

            “Well if we’re doing the whole date thing,” Abby explained, “I think we need to do something _else_ we liked to do when we were young.”

            “And what’s that?” Marcus raised his eyebrows.

            “ _Drink_.”

 

* * *

 

_And drink they did_. The fact that Abby had never had a huge tolerance to begin with, combined with eating less because rations were scarce, meant that she was soon _extremely_ drunk. Marcus on the other hand, was in fairly good shape. He could tell from the beginning of the night that Abby was going to have quite a bit to drink, so he figured he should stay sober to make sure she would be okay.

            “Do you know what?” Abby proclaimed loudly. “This was a _great_ date.”

            "Yeah?” Marcus smiled.

            “Yeah. I mean, I’ve been on some decent dates in my day, but this one…”

            “It _is_ your first date on Earth,” Marcus pointed out. “That would put it over the top.”

            “This is true,” Abby agreed. “But… I have to admit I am in pretty good company.”

            Marcus’ smile grew at that comment. He hadn’t ever expected this to happen. He’d wanted to be with Abby Griffin for as long as he could remember, but he never dreamed the feelings would be reciprocated. Earth was indeed a beautiful place.

            Eventually, when Abby tried to stand up and ended up stumbling, falling inches from the fire, Marcus decided he should probably walk her back to her quarters. Abby put up minimal fight on this, as it was late and she knew that the next morning was already going to be hell as it was.

            When they reached her door, Marcus grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers yet again. He brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and leaned in towards her.

            “I had a really nice time tonight,” he whispered in her ear.

            “So did I,” she whispered back, smiling.

            Marcus pulled away slightly so that they were face to face. He truly couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. A feeling overtook him, and he couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her softly on the lips. After taking a few moments to register what was happening, Abby deepened the kiss, grabbing the back of his head and running her fingers through his hair. They kissed as if they were running out of oxygen, running out of time, and this was the last opportunity they would ever get.

            “Marcus,” she breathed, pulling away just slightly. “You could come in, if you wanted to.”

            Marcus smiled down at her, adrenaline from their kiss still rushing through his body.

            “As tempting as that is,” he whispered softly to her. “You’re very drunk right now, and I don’t want you to have any regrets, and I certainly don’t want to be the person to put you in that position.”

            And with that, he placed a final kiss on her forehead, lingering there for a few moments afterwards.

            “Goodnight, Abby.”

            As Abby climbed into her bed a few minutes later, she couldn’t help but be thinking one thing: _God, am I ever in trouble._


End file.
